Wireless data service apparatus and method in broadcast mobile communication system

ABSTRACT

A system for broadcasting wireless data service in a mobile communication system includes sending a request call for a wireless data service from a mobile terminal to a mobile switching center, identifying whether the terminal is registered in the mobile switching center, transmitting authentication code information indicating that the terminal is registered in the base transceiver station, and releasing the corresponding call in the terminal receiving the authentication code information and receiving the wireless service data. The authentication code information may include a Walsh code and a long code necessary for allowing the terminal to reconstitute the data. Through this case information, the system can broadcast wireless service data throughout an entire region and be assured that only mobile terminals storing compatible code information will be able to access the data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/309,162, filed on Dec. 4, 2002, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,203,480,which claims the benefit of earlier filing date and right of priority toKorean Application No. 76576/2001, filed on Dec. 5, 2001, the contentsof which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a wireless data service in a mobilecommunication system, and more particularly to a system and method forproviding a wireless data service in a broadcast mobile communicationsystem without any limitation of system resources regarding the numberof terminals in use.

2. Background of the Related Art

The concept of providing cellular mobile communications in a coveragearea divided into cells was developed by Bell Laboratories at the end ofthe 1960s. In 1983, the FCC, in controlling the development of the firstgeneration analog mobile communications system, assigned 666bi-directional channels of 800 MHz for the US AMPS (Advance Mobile PhotoServices).

In 1991, U.S. Digital Cellular (IS-54) was made available as asecond-generation analog mobile communication system. This standard wasbased on a TDMA (time division multiple access) system using π/4 DQPSK(differential quadrature phase shift keying) digital modulation modecapable of assigning three users per 30 KHz channel by the AMPS, whichis the Fm/FDMA(frequency division multiple access) mode. Application ofthe half-rate coding technique and the digital signal process at thesame time has made it possible to process six users in a same bandwidthof 30 KHz.

The above-mentioned mobile communication technology continues to developat a fast rate, and has resulted in the IMT-2000 which is the mobilecommunication system for the next generation. This system and otherslike it not only carry text and voice but also moving picture data. Asthe demand for wireless telephones increases, providing voice and dataservices to mobile terminal units will become a necessity.

A wireless data service should provide all services that are provided inexisting PSTNs (public switched telephone network) and PSDNs (packetdata service node), including information search, internet connection,enterprise computer connection, and facsimile transmission/receiptthrough a PC communication connection in addition to traditional filetransmission. These basic services have spawned the development of a newclass of specialized services, including transmitting field reports ofnew media, transmitting/receiving e-mails, and transmitting businessreports of outdoor service employees such as insurance canvassers or A/Semployees.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a mobile communication system ofa conventional wireless data service. The system includes a mobilecommunication terminal 10 such as a notebook, a PDA and/or a cellularphone which receives a wireless data service through the wirelesscommunication system; a mobile communication system (A) including a basetransceiver station (BTS) 20 for performing wireless communications withthe mobile communication terminal 10, a base station controller (BSC) 30connected to the base transceiver station 20 for controlling each basetransceiver station, and a mobile switching center (MSC) 40 connected toa number of base station controllers 30 for controlling the wholesystem. Also included is an inter-working function/packet data servicenode (IWF or PSDN) 50 which is connected to the mobile switching center40 for providing the wireless data service. The inter-workingfunction/packet data service node 50 may be connected to a data servicecenter 60 or the Internet, to thereby provide the data required by auser. For illustrative purposes, the inter-working function/packet dataservice node is shown connected to the Internet to provide the data thatthe user requires.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the operation sequence of a wirelessdata service method in the conventional mobile communication system. Ina first step, if the mobile communication terminal 10 sends a call torequest a wireless data service and terminal information to the basetransceiver station 20 (S11), the base transceiver station 20 assigns abasic channel to the mobile communication terminal 10 (S12) andtransmits a corresponding call to the base station controller 30 torequest data from the inter-working function/packet data service node 50in the base station controller 30 (S13).

The base station controller 30 also assigns channels according to thevolume of wireless data requested by the mobile communication terminal10 to provide the data (S14). The mobile communication terminal 10receives the data through the connected channels (S15).

The above-mentioned mobile communication system has been developed as amobile communication system to support the CDMA 2001x standard, whichforms a basis for providing wireless remote multimedia casting servicein the IMT-2000 network. In providing this service, a request for movingpicture data is performed by establishing a connection to the wirelessinternet and selecting the wireless data service through a web browserin the terminal where the IMT-2000 service is receivable. In response tothis request, a multicast group is logged in the inter-workingfunction/packet data service node in the IMT-2000 network, a multicasttree is formed among each of the group sources, moving pictureinformation transmitted from the inter-working function/packet dataservice node is compressed and encoded, and the information istransmitted to the terminal. The moving picture and voice informationcan then be provided through the wireless internet in a number ofterminals, by using the multicast mode wherein the terminal receivingthe data transmits the data to another terminal connected with themulticast tree and by reducing a use of the system resources.

The above-mentioned technique has the effect of reducing the load of thesystem resources, compared to the unicast mode of sending data to onespecific person. However, as the number of subscribers of the mobilecommunication increase, the conventional wireless data service methodmay not be able to provide all subscribers with requested data servicesdue to limited system resources. These limited system resources includethe mode of assigning channels based on data service requests by mobilecommunication terminals and transmitting data.

Further, even though data is transmitted and received using themulticast mode, the point-to-point mode of transmitting data isrestricted because it is unable to consistently provide a variety ofdata at a time to a lot of subscribers. In providing wireless dataservices, conventional systems also require additional equipment such asthe inter-working function/packet data service node. This increases thecost and complexity of the system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to solve at least the above problemsand/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages describedhereinafter.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and methodfor providing a broadcast wireless data service in a mobilecommunication system, in which a particular code is transmitted to aterminal receiving a broadcast wireless data service and the wirelessdata is transmitted in the broadcasting mode such that only the terminalhaving the particular code information can selectively receive,reconstitute, and output the data to a user. By using codes of thistype, wireless data may be provided to a plurality of terminals at thesame time and without any additional equipment or restrictions on systemresources. The invention, thus represents a substantial improvement overconventional systems, which are restricted in terms of system resourcesand the necessity of having to set up channels between respective mobileterminals and base stations on a one-to-one basis before data can beprovided.

To achieve these and other objects, a broadcast wireless data serviceapparatus of the mobile communication system according to the presentinvention comprises a terminal for providing a broadcast wireless dataservice, a base transceiver station for serving a wireless communicationwith the terminal, a base station controller for controlling the basetransceiver station, a mobile communication system including a centralcontrol station for controlling the base station controller, performinga subscriber authentication process and a resource allocation to providethe broadcast wireless data service, and a broadcast center forproviding the wireless data transmitted from the central control stationof the mobile communication system.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided abroadcast wireless data service method of the mobile communicationsystem according to the present invention comprises the steps ofreceiving wireless data from the broadcast center to broadcast thewireless data on predetermined specific time or date in the centralcontrol station of the mobile communication system, determining whetheror not an authentication process of the wireless data is necessary andassigning an encryption code and authentication code if necessary,transmitting the encryption code and authentication code to the basetransceiver station and transmitting the wireless data from thebroadcast center to the base transceiver station, and broadcasting thewireless data received in the base transceiver station into thecommunication area.

Further, the method further includes the steps of receiving thebroadcasting wireless data; receiving a request call for the broadcastwireless data service from the mobile communication terminal in the basetransceiver station, determining whether or not the wireless databroadcast, and transferring the service request call to the centralcontrol station in case of broadcasting the wireless data, informing adetermination on whether or not a corresponding mobile communicationterminal is registered to the base transceiver station in the centralcontrol station, certifying whether or not the mobile communicationterminal received from the central control station is registered in thebase transceiver station, and transmitting the authenticationinformation and the encryption code information to the correspondingmobile communication terminal if the mobile communication terminal isregistered, and receiving the broadcasting wireless data services usingthe authentication information and the encryption code received in themobile communication terminal.

As mentioned above, according to the present invention, it is not thatchannels are assigned by the mobile communication terminals to transmitthe respective data but that wireless data are broadcast in thebroadcast center through the base transceiver station, the Walsh codeand long code mask key enciphering the broadcast wireless data areprovided only the authenticated terminals, thereby enabling to providethe wireless data service to a number of terminals at a time without anyrestriction of the system resources and enabling to provide the wirelessdata service with only the mobile communication system without anyadditional equipment constitution for the data service.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will beset forth in part in the description which follows and in part willbecome apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art uponexamination of the following or may be learned from practice of theinvention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realizedand attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in detail with reference to thefollowing drawings in which like reference numerals refer to likeelements wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the constitution of a mobilecommunication system of a conventional wireless data service;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the operation sequence of a wirelessdata service method in a conventional mobile communication system;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the constitution of a broadcastwireless data service apparatus of a mobile communication systemaccording to a preferable embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the operation sequence of a wirelessdata broadcast of a broadcast wireless data service method in a mobilecommunication system according to a preferable embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of receiving awireless data broadcast of a broadcast wireless data service method in amobile communication system according to a preferable embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a system for providing broadcastwireless data service in a mobile communication system according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention. This apparatus includes amobile communication terminal 100 such as a notebook, a PDA or acellular phone for receiving wireless data from a mobile communicationsystem (B), a base transceiver station (BTS) 200 for performing wirelesscommunications with the mobile communication terminal 100, a basestation controller (BSC) 300 connected to the base transceiver station200 for controlling each base transceiver station 200, and a mobileswitching center (MSC) 400 connected to a number of the base stationcontrollers 300 for controlling the whole system. The system furtherincludes a home location register (HLR) 410 and a visitor locationregister (VLR) 420 which perform an authentication process of the mobilecommunication terminal 100, and a broadcast center 500 connected to themobile communication system (B) for providing broadcast data for thewireless data service.

The wireless data provided in broadcast center 500 is transmitted tomobile switching center 400 of the mobile communication system (B). Ifthe wireless data received from the broadcast center is charged servicedata requiring authentication, the mobile switching center 400 assigns aWalsh code and a long code mask key as the authentication code informsthe base transceiver station 200 of this code, and transmits thewireless data to the base transceiver station. In the base transceiverstation 200, the wireless data is enciphered using the authenticationcode as received and then broadcast at the maximum output.

To receive the wireless data as broadcast above, a message requestingthe wireless data service is transmitted from the mobile communicationterminal 100 to the base transceiver station 200, and authenticationfrom HLR 410 and VLR 420 of the mobile switching center 400 iscompleted. The authentication code information is then received from thebase transceiver station 200 and the wireless data service is provided.

For the aforementioned authentication process, the mobile communicationterminal 100 may request use of the wireless data service and ispreferably registered in the HLR 410/VLR 420 of the mobile switchingcenter 400. The HLR 410 is a data base management server which storessubscriber information collected, for example, when the terminal waspurchased and number information corresponding to the subscriber. Theserver also stores authentication information for the terminal as wellas service information. The VLR 420 is a data base management serverwhich newly generates and stores subscriber information by areas inregular units when the subscriber moves. The HLR 410 and the VLR 420thus manage the subscriber's location and number information and theterminal authentication information by exchanging the necessaryinformation and updating the database accordingly.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing steps included in an operation sequenceof a wireless data broadcast in a mobile communication system accordingto a preferred embodiment of the invention. Initially, the broadcastcenter 500 provides broadcast wireless data to the mobile switchingcenter 400 of the mobile communication system (B) at a regularlyscheduled time or all day (S101).

The mobile switching center 400 receiving the broadcast wireless datadetermines whether or not the received wireless data is a chargedservice requiring authentication (S102). If it is a charged servicewhich requires authentication, the mobile switching center 400 assigns aWalsh code and a long code mask key which are included as authenticationcode information used to restrict access of the service to only themobile communication terminal 100 (S103).

The Walsh codes include 64 kinds which are orthogonal to each other todistinguish each channel in the CDMA system, and each Walsh code is madeof 64 bits. Channels by the Walsh code are divided into 64 kinds such asW0, W1, W3 . . . W63, in which the pilot channel is W0, the synchronizerchannel is W32, the call channels are W1˜W7, the conversation channelsare W8˜W63 (except for W32). The call channels and the synchronizerchannel are not assigned, and W1 W63 may be used as the conversationchannels.

Since the Walsh code has orthogonal characteristics, it can be obtained+1 only in the case of multiplying the same Walsh code. Therefore, the64 Walsh codes are all independent, thereby dividing into 64 channels. Areceiving party can recognize the same channel and then receive the dataonly if that party's terminal uses a Walsh code having the value of +1when multiplying the 64 bit-Walsh codes.

The long code mask key is used for a reverse direction channel. A longcode is used when the base transceiver station distinguishes eachsubscriber. This long code can be specifically assigned to each terminalbecause it uses ESN information of the mobile communication terminal.

By using the aforementioned Walsh code and the long code mask key, thepresent invention advantageously limits reception of the broadcastwireless data to only the mobile communication terminal 100 asauthenticated. The mobile switching center 400 assigns the Walsh codeand long code mask key at previous step S103, and then transmits theassigned Walsh code and long code information and the wireless data tothe base transceiver station 200 (S104). The base transceiver station200 then enciphers the wireless data using the Walsh code and long codeand broadcasts the wireless data at the maximum output (S105).

Although the wireless data as broadcast above is receivable in allmobile communication terminals, since it is impossible to reconstitutethe data in a terminal which does not have the specific Walsh code andlong code information, access to the service is restricted.

The base transceiver station 200 may encipher the wireless databroadcast in the broadcast center 500 at a regular time or all day andbroadcasts it in case of charged service, but broadcasts the datawithout any encryption process in case of free service. Since the basetransceiver station 200 broadcasts the wireless data at the maximumoutput so that all the mobile communication terminals can receive it, ingeneral, providing the broadcast wireless data service at the time whenthere is no telephone traffic may result in higher efficiency.

In the case that the data provided in the broadcast center 500 is free,the data is transmitted to the base transceiver station 100 (S108)without enciphering (S109), so that it can be received and used in allof the mobile communication terminals. The broadcast wireless data isconformable to the standardized data format as set in the system, andthe data is assigned the order and broadcast.

Giving the order to the data makes it easy to find out any duplicateerrors or any lost error data when a part of data is lost by anyhand-off in the mobile communication terminal 100 or any duplicate erroror lost error in data. In the present invention, the error data isdisregarded and the next sequence is processed.

In addition, when broadcast of the broadcast wireless data as thecharged service is ended (S106), the resource assigned as the Walsh codeand long code mask key in the mobile switching center 400 is withdrawn(S107) and the broadcast is ended.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing steps included in an operation ofreceiving a wireless data broadcast in a mobile communication systemaccording to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Initially, themobile communication terminal 100 sends a call requesting a wirelessdata service (S201). The request may include information indicating aservice option or service number for wireless data service. The basetransceiver station 200 receiving the call transmits the call to themobile switching center 400 through the base station controller 300. Themobile switching center 400 performs a subscriber inquiry to determinewhether a user of the mobile communication terminal 100, or the mobileterminal itself, is registered (S202). The mobile switching center thenidentifies whether or not the user is the registered subscriber (S203)based on results of this inquiry.

In this regard, it is noted that in order to access the wireless dataservice the user of the mobile communication terminal 100 is preferablyregistered in advance in a database of the mobile communication system.Further, the subscriber inquiry may be performed in the mobilecommunication system (B) using the registered data in order to determinewhether the user is the registered subscriber in the HLR 410 or the VLR420 connected to the mobile switching center 400. This may be performedby analyzing the number given to the corresponding subscriber; and thendetermining whether the terminal number and the electronic serial number(ESN) specifically given to the terminal are identified with each otherif the user is subscribed. It then may be determined whether the user isa normal subscriber. The call may be rejected or connected on thisbasis.

In a registration process to use the data service, basically asubscriber inquiry uses the HLR 410 and the VLR 420 in the same manneras a request for an ordinary voice service, comparing the subscribernumber and the ESN. In this regard, the PPP authentication may beadditionally performed, which makes “ON” so that the authentication canbe performed in the PSDN or IWF.

The mode of requesting the wireless data service using the mobilecommunication terminal 100 in S201 can be explained in two main cases,one using a service option and the other using a specific receivednumber.

The service option is used when requesting a call by a wireless dataservice. Each of the service options of 8K/13K/64K/144K is requestedaccording to the data rate setting the mobile communication terminal100, and a corresponding broadcast service is used by defining aspecific service option.

The received number is used when a businessman requests a call for avoice or packet data service by selecting a specific received number.For instance, if any call is sent having the receiving number such as*019 or #019, the wireless data service is provided.

After the subscriber authentication process is completed, if a user is aregistered subscriber with respect to his mobile communication terminal100, it is determined whether the data service requested by thesubscriber is available (S205). If the data service is not available,information indicating service unavailability is provided to the mobilecommunication terminal 100 through a notice broadcasting or text service(S206).

In the case of a broadcast wireless data service, when the broadcastcenter does not continuously provide the wireless data, that is, itprovides the wireless data for a regular time only, the above mentionedsteps (S205, S206) fall under the case that the service time passes orthe subscriber requests for the service not being provided in thepresent location. As a result of identification at S203, if the mobilecommunication 100 is not registered, the call is rejected (S204).

When wireless data service is possible in S205, it is determined whetherthe wireless data service requested by the subscriber is the chargedservice requiring authentication (S207). In the case of the chargeservice, the base transceiver station 200 transmits the Walsh code andlong code mask key as the authentication code to the terminal with acompleted authentication (S208).

The mobile communication terminal 100 receiving the Walsh code and longcode mask key releases the currently connected call (S209), convertsinto an available state that of receiving the data (S210), receives thewireless data broadcast in the base transceiver station 200 (S211),reconstitutes it based on the Walsh code and long code mask key asreceived at S208 and displays and provides the same to the user (S212).

At this time, any lost or duplicate data by any hand-off or error inchannels are found because the data is given the order and it isbroadcast accordingly as previously mentioned. The data causing anyerror is disregarded and the data in the next sequence is continuouslyprocessed.

Therefore, even if the wireless data is broadcast through the basetransceiver station, since only the authenticated terminal can receivethe data from the base transceiver station and reconstitute it, even thewireless data by the charged service may be broadcast through theregular channels. This enables to save the resources and makes itpossible for a number of terminals to be provided the service at a time.

In summary, a broadcast wireless data service apparatus and methodaccording to the present invention does not assign channels by terminalsor transmit data respectively. Instead, the invention transmits Walshcode and long code mask key information to a terminal requesting thewireless data, as broadcast through the base transceiver station in thebroadcast center, so that the subscribers freely receive the data. Thisallows a number of terminals to receive the wireless data servicewithout any restriction of system resources at the same time, andprovides the wireless data service without any additional data serviceequipment.

The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and arenot to be construed as limiting the present invention. The presentteaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. Thedescription of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, andnot to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications,and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In theclaims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structuresdescribed herein as performing the recited function and not onlystructural equivalents but also equivalent structures.

1. A method of receiving service data in a wireless communicationsystem, the method comprising: requesting an authorization from a mobileterminal for the service data, wherein the service data is encrypted tobe received by a plurality of subscribed mobile terminals; receiving theservice data concurrently with code information in the same data streambroadcast by a base station, wherein the code information is associatedwith decrypting the service data by the plurality of subscribed mobileterminals; and decrypting the service data using the code informationreceived from the base station, wherein mobile terminals that areauthenticated are able to decrypt the service data.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the service data is broadcast service data.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the code information comprises at least oneof a Walsh code and a long code mask key.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the base station comprises at least one of a base transceiverstation and a broadcast center.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein theservice data is a point-to-multipoint service data to be received byonly the plurality of subscribed mobile terminals.
 6. A mobile terminalfor receiving service data in a wireless communication system, themobile terminal comprising: a processor for requesting an authorizationfor the service data, wherein the service data is encrypted to bereceived by a plurality of subscribed mobile terminals; and atransceiver for receiving the service data concurrently with codeinformation in the same data stream broadcast by a base station, whereinthe code information is associated with decrypting the service data bythe plurality of subscribed mobile terminals, wherein the processordecrypts the service data using the code information received from thebase station, wherein mobile terminals that are authenticated are ableto decrypt the service data.
 7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, whereinthe service data is broadcast service data.
 8. The mobile terminal ofclaim 6, wherein the code information comprises at least one of a Walshcode and a long code mask key.
 9. The mobile terminal of claim 6,wherein the base station comprises at least one of a base transceiverstation and a broadcast center.
 10. The mobile terminal of claim 6,wherein the service data is a point-to-multipoint service data to bereceived by only the plurality of subscribed mobile terminals.